0019 Shopping Poem by Michael Shepherd

and as she paused
at the store window
her mind which was rose-gold
that day, poured in a
shining stream out through
her eyes and through the plate-glass
door while the air-conditioned
dark richness of the salon
opened its black velvet arms
to greet her and even the security person
smiled at the star-sparkle in her hopes

and when she’d tried it on she walked
towards the window beckoning him
whom we had not noticed
to come in and take a closer look
honey he said you look just beautiful
how can I look at the price tag when
you look so great in it?

when she came out and he
had melted away into the crowd
as if he had not been
she was carrying wrapped in tissue happiness
the silky slither in a shiny bag
which proved the truth
of what he might have said